The full-featured digital version of our Membership Directory & Buyer’s Guide enhances the look and feel of our directory with digital-only benefits to help you:
Network from anywhere with linked email addresses.
Connect with the companies, products and services that interest you using linked web addresses.
Get where you’re going…fast…with bookmarks and a linked table of contents.
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MCAA’s Membership Directory & Buyer’s Guide is free as a member benefit. Printed directories will be sent to members in the next few weeks.
This educational video provides users with an overview of the next generation of WebLEM — WebLEM+Plus. In this video, you will learn how labor units are created for both the Component and the Work Activity Method (WAM) and what factors are considered in creating labor units. The video highlights the new and enhanced features of WebLEM+Plus. You will learn how to navigate the updated software, how to access Component and Work Activity labor units and how to locate information associated with each product. The video will also walk you through a detailed example of how to use the Work Activity Method (WAM). Included in the recording is an overview of the work our industry’s manufacturers and content providers are doing to connect their product data and drawing content to the WebLEM+Plus. Welcome to WebLEM+Plus, the next generation of the industry standard for estimating labor hours.
As the new Senate bill was passed by the House on April 23, 2020, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) gained additional emergency funds. MCAA partners and law firm, Lindabury, McCormick, Estabrook & Cooper, P.C., provide an overview of the program application and loan forgiveness requirements to assist MCAA members.
Murphy Company is playing an important role in their communities’ fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. As the number of citizens requiring hospitalization has surged, so has the need for additional isolation rooms on a quick-turn schedule. The pandemic has presented additional challenges, and Murphy Company has met them all with innovative and fast-moving solutions.
St. Joseph Hospital
In an effort to convert standard patient rooms to negative pressure rooms, Murphy’s creative team figured out a way to install temporary ductwork along the building by feeding the room through a window, with HEPA filtration located on the roof of the St. Charles, MO hospital.
The fast-paced project converted rooms in 17 hours with an average crew size of six working around the clock (7:00 am – 12:00 am).
St. Anthony North Health Campus
Murphy Company converted a floor of standard patient rooms to negative pressure rooms for this job. From inception to turnover, this was done in 7 calendar days.
Project Timeline
April 1: Design team finalized plans and drawings with the St. Anthony North Health Campus team
April 2: Crew started layout, sketched and moved to fabrication
April 3: Roof curbs were installed
April 4: A weekend crane pick was staged to install the new exhaust fans. The sheet metal shop worked around the clock to complete the ductwork fabrication needed the next day
April 5: Ductwork arrived on site and was installed
April 6: Started and balanced the first two fans and turned over 15 rooms for the hospital to use that night
April 7: The last fan was started up, and the remaining 14 rooms were turned over in the afternoon
SSM Health DePaul Hospital
Murphy Company orchestrated work on three negative pressure rooms for the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at DePaul Hospital.
Kelly Pearce, Incident Commander at DePaul Hospital, praised Murphy Company for its work, saying, “I want to pass on my personal gratitude as the incident commander for DePaul Hospital as well as from the perspective of my ICU nursing background for the work your teams did for us last night.”
“From the time we said ‘go’ around 16:45 yesterday afternoon, Jim Wesling and others from Murphy and Kaiser were able to convert 16 ICU rooms on 3N from normal airflow to airborne infection isolation (AII) negative pressure standards by 04:30 this morning,” she added. “Their actions have made it safer for our staff and providers to care for patients infected with COVID-19 and to provide more peace of mind to the staff working through this very turbulent situation.”
Handwashing Stations
Murphy Company needed a way for its employees to wash their hands when the public areas of jobsites were closed due to COVID-19.
Vice President Scott McIntosh came up with the idea of creating portable sinks to bring on sites. The fabrication shop was challenged with the idea, and a prototype was created in 2 days.
The project started in Murphy Company’s Denver office, and was immediately supported by management in the St. Louis office.
The first prototype was a rectangular sink created using a stainless steel countertop and a Knaack cart. A hot water heater was installed in the cart’s cabinet. Water was supplied via a garden hose, and the stainless steel holding tank, with a capacity of +/- 20 gallons of wastewater, was drained via a garden hose. This option proved to be expensive due to the cost of the materials involved.
A second, less expensive option was developed next. The round sink, which is strapped to a dolly for portability, features a hands-free, sensor-powered water faucet and soap dispenser. This prototype has rear water-source hookups (hose into the valve) and a drain in the front to allow the water to deplete from the unit itself. The wastewater storage capacity is +/- 40 gallons.
The round sink was self-contained and required only 120VAC to power a small pump and instant heater. Water fed from a 5-gallon water jug and was disposed of in a 5-gallon bucket. The original design was adapted to replace the self-contained water and waste system. This meant removing the pump and adding a 2.5 gallon electric water heater in its place. This option allows jobsites to have a moderate amount of warm water for proper hand washing without the concern of running out of water or filling a waste container.
The Denver fabrication shop shared the drawings with the St. Louis shop, which used the materials available to them to create their iterations of the rectangular and round sinks.
Senior Vice President Robert Mathisen said, “We are now looking at a much less expensive prototype that does not include a hot water heater and is also for smaller construction sites. We are also looking at alternative components to reduce cost. One consideration was to incorporate a ‘hands-free’ faucet and a ‘hands-free’ soap dispenser to avoid touching of surfaces where contamination could reside.”
The projects were done by Murphy Company’s union tradesmen and women from Colorado Locals 3, 9, and 208, and Missouri Locals 36 and 562.
Murphy Company plans to deploy the sinks to jobsites that need them in Colorado, Wyoming, Missouri, and Illinois.
MCAA thanks Murphy Company for their efforts in helping to limit the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and for their contributions to the safety and health of both their employees and the general public.
As buildings are reopening after being shut down or used less during the pandemic, there is an inherent risk to the water and air systems. MCAA has drafted a comprehensive sample letter for our contractors to download and customize as needed before sending to building owners as they prepare to re-open their buildings in the safest way.
These uncertain times have forced many companies to focus internally and hunker down. But this is the perfect time to go on the offense and embrace creativity and innovation. A panel of past MSCA board members and service contractors lead an informative session on refocusing your service sales priorities and implementing unique and proactive sales strategies. As your business continues to face tension between generating sales during a period of extreme economic hardship and respecting the threats to life and livelihood that have altered consumer priorities, you now have a unique opportunity to re-educate your customers and reinvent your offerings.
Congratulations to Bryce Danielson, one of the two recipients of the Alan O’Shea Memorial Scholarship. The Mechanical Contractors Association of New Jersey established the scholarships to honor the memory of Alan O’Shea, its former Executive Director, and memorialize his many contributions to the mechanical contracting industry.
Bryce is a sophomore from the University of Nebraska studying Construction Management. He joined the student chapter in his freshman year and has attended both the MCAA Annual Convention and the GreatFutures Forum.
“The amount of support that the mechanical contracting industry has for students like me is what has drawn me towards a future career in this industry,” Bryce said. “Whether it is through the local contractors, my local student chapter, or the national association, I feel as if there is always someone to help and support my future career.”
His local contractor mentor showed him a job site and explained how the process works, answering his questions along the way. The student chapter has provided internship and networking opportunities, along with the chance to learn new things through its monthly meetings. MCAA events have also provided networking opportunities, along with real-world experience through the Student Chapter Competition, and a chance to learn from world-class speakers and industry professionals.
Ray Martin Company Internship Experience
Bryce has been interning for Ray Martin Company, an MCAA member, since May 2019. “I have been challenged with many tasks which include estimating and preparing bids, writing purchase orders and subcontracts, and helping with project management duties. They gave me opportunities that no other company would give a first-year intern.”
“I look forward to putting everything I have learned in college to work,” Bryce said, adding that “It’s one thing to learn about managing a large-scale project and another to actually do it. This is what I enjoy the most about mechanical contracting because almost every day is different. There is always a new problem that needs to be solved or a new project that is different than the last. I enjoy these because you always have to be quick on your feet and think of innovative ways to solve these problems to ensure the overall success of your project.
“Without my MCAA student chapter and the MCA of Omaha, I would have never been able to make the connection with Ray Martin Co. and obtain an internship that I am still doing today. Finally, MCA-Omaha has also supported me financially through different scholarships. This is a big deal to me because it allows me to stay focused on school and reassures me that the local mechanical contractors support me and all the members of our chapter.”
MCAA and the John R. Gentille Foundation congratulate Bryce on this distinguished scholarship and thank the MCA of Omaha, Inc. for its commitment to supporting younger students keeping them invested in the mechanical contracting industry.
MCAA’s Virtual Trade Show connects our contractor members with the members of MCAA’s Manufacturer/Supplier Council.
Participating companies highlight and link to new products, product lines, services, solutions or web pages of particular interest. Here are just a few of the recent additions:
Watts Water Technologies
Time is money. And with Watts Learn & Earn program, you can earn tokens for swag in less than 10 minutes. Learn about Watts products on demand from any device, collect, and get on with your day.
The Harris Products Group
Installing gas lines at field hospitals? Harris has the medical gas distribution equipment you need – manifolds, oxygen panels, regulators – and the system design experts to help you serve these critically-needed facilities. Call 1.800.733.4041, ext 2.
Visit the Smart Solutions Case Studies area of our website to learn how other mechanical contractors found their win-win with cost-saving and productivity-enhancing applications from members of MCAA’s Manufacturer/Supplier Council.
This section of our website also includes tips and ideas to help your company save money and enhance your productivity. Don’t miss it!
A panel of leading contractors discuss important strategies to help companies deal with the current coronavirus situation. Panelists will discuss the role of HVACR/plumbing companies as essential services, crucial safety issues, impact on customers, the financial realities and a number of technical recommendations for mechanical/plumbing systems.
This year’s Student Chapter Competition project was demanding, allowing students to showcase their knowledge of mechanical contracting in a written proposal for a a real-world construction bid.
MCAA congratulates the four finalists: Ball State University, Milwaukee School of Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, and the University of Missouri-Columbia.
The finalists were selected from among 33 submissions. Their insight into the project and the overall quality of their proposals impressed the judges, all members of MCAA’s Career Development Committee.
Thank you to Fresh Meadow Mechanical Corporation of Fresh Meadows, New York for providing this year’s project details. The project tasked students with developing a proposal to be the prime contractor on a chiller and cooling tower replacement project in the Penn South building in New York City. The project included the completion of all plumbing, piping and HVAC, electrical, controls and any other work required to complete the project as described in the bid documents.
Ball State received their charter at the 2016 MCAA Convention. They received a Chapter of Excellence Grant in 2019, recognizing their extraordinary performance and accomplishments in maintaining interest in the mechanical contracting industry. Sherif Attallah, Associate Professor of Construction Management, is the chapter’s faculty advisor.
This was Ball State’s first year placing in the final four of the competition.
The competition team consisted of all Construction Management majors:
MSOE won last year’s Student Chapter Competition at MCAA19. The chapter previously won in 2011 and 2013.
They placed in the Final Four of the Competition in 2006, 2008, 2012, 2014 and 2017. MSOE was a recipient of a 2019 Chapter of Excellence Grant. Blake Wentz, Department Chair of Civil & Architectural Engineering & Construction Management, is the chapter’s faculty advisor.
MSOE’s Competition Team:
Nathan Bevers, Class of 2020, Architectural Engineering
Luke Grohmann, Class of 2021, Construction Management
Lucas Haas, Class of 2020, Construction Management
Brooke Scott, Class of 2020, Architectural Engineering & Construction Management
Logan Stone, Class of 2021, Architectural Engineering
John Cunningham, Class of 2022, Architectural Engineering
Logan Stone is the 2020 recipient of the William A. Bianco, Jr Memorial Scholarship. Brooke Scott received the Alan P. O’Shea Memorial Scholarship in 2019.
This is Maryland’s first time back in the final four since 2014. After working on rebuilding the chapter that time, they won an Emerging Chapter Grant in 2019. Fitzgerald Walker, Academic Advisor for the Mechanical Engineering department, is in his first year as the chapter’s faculty advisor.
Meet Maryland’s competition team, all Mechanical Engineering majors:
Hailey Brennan, Class of 2022
Talha Dasti, Class of 2020
Samuel Gigioli, Class of 2021
Zachary Hood, Class of 2020
Ahmed Seck, Class of 2021
Hailey Brennan is the 2020 Recipient of the Josam Endowed Scholarship.
Mizzou won the the Student Chapter Competition at MCAA17, and competed in the final four last year at MCAA19. The chapter’s current advisor is Lawrence Shilke, Manager Engineer of the University of Missouri-Columbia.
The competition team consists of all Mechanical Engineering majors:
Mohammed Al-Ramis, Class of 2021
Ellie Henshaw, Class of 2020
Austin Mathews, Class of 2020
Adam Moore, Class of 2020
Kylie Nedelka, Class of 2020
Evan Taylor, Class of 2021
Derrick Jenkins, Class of 2021
Kylie Nedelka recently accepted a second summer internship with SIEMENS. Read the full story HERE.
MCAA and the John R. Gentille Foundation congratulates all of the finalists and recognizes their commitment and dedication to this year’s project. A signification amount of time and effort has been put into the competition, and thank you all the student chapters for their commitment to the MCAA GreatFutures program
In a video message, UA General President Mark McManus and MCAA President Brian Helm discuss how cooperation, communication and common sense are fueling joint efforts to adapt to new working conditions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The two organizations are working together and innovating to address changing conditions while at the same time protecting our workforce and our industry’s future.
John W. Danforth Company installed a new hot water system in a nursing home without incident and with minimal disruption, thanks in part to Ferguson’s expertise in selecting the ideal replacement system. The new system improved overall efficiency for the nursing home and will be easier to maintain than the old system.
Visit the Smart Solutions Case Studies area of our website! You’ll see how other mechanical contractors found their win-win with productivity-enhancing and cost-saving applications from members of MCAA’s Manufacturer/Supplier Council.
Plus, you’ll find tips and ideas on other ways you and your company can save money and enhance your productivity.
MCAA’s Virtual Trade Show connects our contractor members with the members of MCAA’s Manufacturer/Supplier Council.
Participating companies highlight and link to new products, product lines, services, solutions or web pages of particular interest. Here are just a few of the recent additions:
Carrier Corporation
Carrier’s new Ecoblue technology is the industry’s first beltless direct-drive vane axial fan system for select rooftop models designed to improve performance and efficiencies while decreasing maintenance and installation costs.
nVent
The nVent CADDY Rod Lock Strut allows for the quick creation and installation of trapeze assemblies. The pre-cut strut is ready to use out of the box and allows for quick prefab and easy installation.
Visit the Smart Solutions Case Studies area of our website to learn how other mechanical contractors found their win-win with cost-saving and productivity-enhancing applications from members of MCAA’s Manufacturer/Supplier Council.
This section of our website also includes tips and ideas to help your company save money and enhance your productivity. Don’t miss it!
A contracted estimator fell from an extension ladder when a cracked rung broke while he was climbing the ladder. The estimator was seriously injured, sustaining a skull fracture and multiple leg fractures. The estimator had been aware of the defect in the ladder. The defect was caused when the ladder fell at an earlier job site. However, the estimator continued to use the ladder rather than seeking a replacement. These ladder safety tips from CNA will help you keep workers safe.
Visit the Smart Solutions Case Studies area of our website! You’ll see how other mechanical contractors found their win-win with productivity-enhancing and cost-saving applications from members of MCAA’s Manufacturer/Supplier Council.
Plus, you’ll find tips and ideas on other ways you and your company can save money and enhance your productivity.
Colin Hindman has accepted a second summer internship with MCA of Indiana member, Harrell-Fish, Inc. (HFI). Colin is a junior studying Construction Management Technology at Purdue University where he is the President of the MCAA Student Chapter.
Harrell-Fish Internship
Colin reflects on what he will be doing during his internship:
I am continuing to work with the Project Management team in their Construction Division. I shadow and assist the PMs with their projects while also getting some projects of my own to manage under supervision. I also help out in estimating on occasion. I found the opportunity to work for them [Harrell-Fish] originally by being introduced to the VP by a family friend.
MCAA Student Chapter Involvement
As the Student Chapter president, Colin has been active with his student chapter:
Being a part of MCAA has both reinforced and built upon concepts I have learned in class, but most importantly on the job. My excellent experience working with HFI gave me a certain advantage when approaching the competition project. Conversely, the MCAA Student Chapter Competition taught me some valuable lessons that I’ve already been able to apply back in my internship.
Find other student chapter members like Colin by visiting mcaagreatfutures.org and previewing students’ resumes.
MCAA’s Virtual Trade Show connects our contractor members with the members of MCAA’s Manufacturer/Supplier Council.
Participating companies highlight and link to new products, product lines, services, solutions or web pages of particular interest. Here are just a few of the recent additions:
SLOAN
Specifying the right faucet for your next commercial restroom project has never been easier. Sloan’s Faucet Finder lets you customize your perfect touch-free faucet, based on anything from spout design to spray type.
Baltimore Aircoil Company, Inc. The ENDURADRIVE™ Fan System Retrofit Kit is a direct drive motor system that provides 100% reliability on transmission components and a 90% reduction in maintenance costs, all while providing an increase in energy savings by 10%.
Visit the Smart Solutions Case Studies area of our website to learn how other mechanical contractors found their win-win with cost-saving and productivity-enhancing applications from members of MCAA’s Manufacturer/Supplier Council.
This section of our website also includes tips and ideas to help your company save money and enhance your productivity. Don’t miss it!
MCAA’s Virtual Trade Show connects our contractor members with the members of MCAA’s Manufacturer/Supplier Council.
Participating companies highlight and link to new products, product lines, services, solutions or web pages of particular interest. Here are just a few of the recent additions:
Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co.® a Member of Morris Group International
When you think of the Trap-Defender™, think of the number 3. This patented pressure-drop trap primer is activated by a pressure drop as low as 3 PSI and has a 3-year warranty. Learn more about the Trap-Defender and the entire line of Smith Fluid Controls™ Trap Primers and Distribution Units.
Parker Hannifin
Transair® is the original aluminium pipe work system for industrial fluids and your best solution for Compressed Air, Inert Gas and Vacuum applications.
Visit the Smart Solutions Case Studies area of our website to learn how other mechanical contractors found their win-win with cost-saving and productivity-enhancing applications from members of MCAA’s Manufacturer/Supplier Council.
This section of our website also includes tips and ideas to help your company save money and enhance your productivity. Don’t miss it!
